Piper Gray has had to move in with father and step-mother now that her mom is gone. Just before school starts she finds a grave in the local grave yard for Layla Trello who died as a teenager 17 years ago. Piper decides to look into what happened and finds out Layla's murder has been unsolved. She decided to start a podcast to bring new interest to this case and hopefully find the killer.

Soon after her first episode Piper starts getting threatening messages and she must decide if she's willing to risk her life to help find justice for Layla.

I'm a big fan of thrillers and mysteries and I really enjoy April Henry's books, so I was excited to see this on Netgalley (an electronic Advanced Reader's site) so I quickly requested it. Once I started reading I pretty much flew through the book. The mystery was solid and Piper was a likable character. I'd recommend this to older Junior High and High school readers who want a good, fast, mystery and those who are also interested in learning more about podcasting. The book will be published in late March and the library will be ordering a copy.

This was a really quick read.

Piper recently moved into her dad's house with his wife and their two kids. It's her senior year and she doesn't know anyone. When she stumbles across a grave of a young girl, Piper decides to find out who she was. Layla was seventeen when she died seventeen years earlier. And Piper is seventeen. When she's told she has to do a project for school, she decides to do a podcast on Layal's unsolved murder. She starts finding as much information as she can and tries to speak to as many people from that time as possible. Layla was at a party the night she died. Her boyfriend was the prime suspect, but he was never charged. Piper thinks it's a prank, but she might be coming to close to the killer. She starts receiving messages and a gift. She even sees someone that might be following her. The only real friend Piper made at her new school was Jonas. He was asked to help her since he has a podcast. He doesn't agree with digging up the murder, but he helps her anyways.

I gave this book 4 stars. I liked that there were podcast transcripts for each episode.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Thank you NetGalley, April Henry, and Little, Brown Books for providing an eARC of Girl Forgotten.

Moving to a new town to live with her dad and his family, Piper Grey just wants to hunker down and finish school - maybe go to community college after. Walking through town, Piper notices the gravestone of a girl who would have died at the age Piper was. A fan of true crime podcast Dead, Deader, Deadest, and needing something other than her own traumas to focus on, Piper begins researching the girl and her unsolved murder. When she learns that her new school requires all seniors to do passion project, the natural next is to create her own podcast shining light on the cold case and interviewing locals to probe for new leads.

But sticking your nose into something many would rather forget can have its own consequences, and soon Piper is being told to back down or else. Does she step away for her own safety when every interview she did only brought more questions?

Heavy on the YA tropes and with a pretty straightforward style of writing, I found Girl Forgotten predictable but enjoyable none the less. I think this would be a good recommendation for teens who enjoy true crime podcasts. I will say, I felt that the ending felt very rushed. Despite mentioning the writing advice "show don't tell," the final paragraphs were just a quick sum up of everything that followed the villain reveal. I was particularly disappointed by the lack of development leading up to the resolution of the conflict between the stepmother and Piper. I was also disappointed that the best friend of Piper was mentioned once and then never appeared again, Star's and Aubrey's reacting to the closing of the case, and the Dead, Deader, Deadest subplot dropping completely. It felt like a lot still stood unresolved, but not in a 'answered in the next book' kind of way.

I think this could be an interesting for grades 9+ and could be for younger readers as well dependent on the parent's comfort with implied violence, suicide, and drug use. It's not very graphic beyond that.

Solid 3 stars

I really enjoy YA mystery because it is usually thrilling without the graphic violence. April Henry does a great job captivating the reader's attention with a fast-paced although popular storyline. Piper has moved in with her father and stepmother for a fresh start after major loss. She starts a podcast as a senior project about an unsolved murder in her new town and quickly gets sucked into the mystery. As she meets suspects, crosses law enforcement, and digs up secrets, she also makes a close new friend in a boy named Jonas. The end felt like a bit of a reach to me and left me with a few unanswered questions but this was overall a fun read. I liked the characters and there were enough twists to keep me guessing. I think young and older readers will both enjoy this one. Thanks to April Henry, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Christy Ottaviano Books, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing with a DRC of this title. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this latest April Henry book. When I saw it listed as YA, I was worried that it might be too much for my middle school students, but it wasn't. In true Henry form, this story is gritty enough for them to enjoy, while also avoiding major graphic details (sex, language, etc). I would consider this a must purchase, especially if your readers enjoy mystery/thrillers as much as mine do. I am going to order 2 of these right away, and anticipate needing a few more after that.

Piper Gray has moved in with her father and step-mother. Her new school requires seniors to complete a "passion project." On her first day in town, she sees a gravestone for a 17 year old girl who was murdered 20 years before. The case was never solved. Taking inspiration from her favorite true crime podcast, Piper decides to make her passion project a podcast covering the case. She hopes to bring light to the cold case and even thinks that she might be able to bring the killer to justice. But if the killer was never caught, they could be anybody. And they might not like the renewed interest in the case.

Like I said, this is a first-purchase type of book. Kids who like April Henry will love this one. Kids who want to read mystery/thrillers will love this one. And it might even convert a few new readers to the genre.

This feels a little too close to other YA titles that I've read in the last handful of years but it rides the wave of documents in literature (in this case the podcast that Piper starts as well as some newspaper reports) as Piper uses her senior project to create a podcast about a dead girl from seventeen years ago.

It throws a little too much into the mix and then feels rushed by the end, a little incomplete but it does make up for it by way of educating teens about creating a podcast. The inspiration alone and technical instruction that Jonas has for Piper along the way could parlay into teen readers being inspired to create their own about whatever topic they find interesting.

It has the usual timeline that Henry is generally known for (not the whipped frenzy of [book:Two Truths and a Lie|58950704]) but still a paced timeline that leaves me more sad by the end than scared! And certainly with more questions than answers (the broken beer bottle by the grave for instance or Piper's mom's backstory and how it affects Piper).

This YA mystery/thriller started out strong with a new girl to town who stumbles across the story of a local girl’s murder- left unsolved for years. She decides to turn this into her school project and attempt to shed new light on the case through a podcast like her favorite true crime show.

The premise and beginning of this book had a lot of great promise. I enjoyed the initial crime mystery itself and the main character’s own mysterious past. The intro gave me some strong Pretty Little Liar vibes which drew me in.

Unfortunately, after about 25% through the book it lost my interest. I had a hard time caring about the main characters and the pacing was slower than the typical YA thriller. The plot was pretty straightforward, as was the eventual conclusion and murderer reveal.

This would be a great introduction for some into YA thrillers since it isn’t too heavy and has a basic storyline, but overall this was just not for me.

Oh man I really love YA mysteries they are always so interesting and hardly have any romance which works for me. Piper Gray moves in with her absent dad, step-mom and 2 younger siblings after her mom died while walking around she stumbles across this tombstone for Layla Trello and what intrigues her is that she died when she was 17. When she looks up the name she finds out that she was murdered and the murder was never solved. Piper who is a true crime fan decides to do a podcast investigating the murder for her senior project and as she starts poking around she begins getting threats which tell her she is on the right track to figuring out what actually happened to Layla. Her podcast start getting popular and everyone in school suddenly knows her name and wants to be friends. The killer was not on my radar and surprised me which I love since the worst thing is figuring it out half way through the book. There is a little romance between Piper and Jonas who is tasked to help her with the technical aspects of recording the podcast and editing it. I really enjoyed this and I love the transcripts of her podcasts that were included with the story.

Thanks to Christy Ottaviano Booksand Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for my free ARC copy. I thought this was a fun, quick-paced thriller book. April Henry does it again with Girl Forgotten of keeping you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out her twists and turns. She builds her characters relatable to her YA audience. I loved the idea of a podcast. Recommended to those you enjoyed a Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Another great book written by April Henry that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out her twists and turns. She dies an amazing job making her characters relatable to her YA audience.

I wish this story had a faster pace.

Yes, the Piper and Jonas make for an interesting story, I feel as though this book has been written several times over the years, just with different named characters.

This is not horrible, but I would rate it a 3 star read.

I know that this has gotten several positive reviews, but I just don't feel as though there is nothing original here.

Girl Forgotten
by April Henry
Pub Date: 28 Mar 2023
April Henry does it again in another young adult thriller that my students will be begging for.
In Girl Forgotten, Piper Gray has moved to a new town with her mostly absent birth father due to a horrible incident that takes her mom from her. In a new town with no friends getting to know her new family, Piper throws herself into her Senior project, a podcast about a 17 year old unsolved murder case about a local teen named Layla.... Only some people don't want the past being brought up. The deeper Piper digs, the more views she gets and the more threats she receives. Could it have been Layla's rich, partying boyfriend? His older, often trouble, brother? The local "I'm one of you teens" cop that's always hanging around? A serial killer? There are so many theories, but one thing is for sure, they don't want Piper getting any closer.
Now...full truth, I figured it out pretty early on, but I think that was due to my own experiences (can't say more or I'd give it away). But, because the story was so good, it was well worth the read. Plus...I had to find out if I was right. 😁
We will be getting this one for the library. #netgalley #girlforgotten #AprilHenry

I love April Henry books! They are fabulous thrillers that are totally appropriate for middle school readers and up!
I was really excited to get my hands on Girl Forgotten because it is about one of my other passions- true crime podcasts.
In Girl Forgotten, Piper has just moved in with her dad and stepmom and is starting her senior year at a high school that requires seniors to do tear long passion projects. Piper chooses to investigate a 20 year old, unsolved local murder. The story is told through first person narrative, podcast transcripts, and newspaper articles. The short chapters kept me turning the page, and I read the whole book in under 24 hours.
I'll admit, I did have one of the twists figured out, but it didn't make me enjoy the story any less.

Highly recommend for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books Publishing for an early copy for review.

I have so many thoughts on this book, but I will start with this book being by far one of the best April Henry books I've read.

Girl Forgotten has everything middle grade and young adult true crimes fans love. First you have the accidental discovery of an unsolved murder of a 17 year old student named Layla in a small Oregon Town. Secondly, you have newcomer to the community, Piper, who stirs up the past through creating a podcast about the crime. Finally, you follow along as a friendship that could turn into romance between Piper and Jonas,a quiet kid with his own demons. These storylines combined with an admired creative writing teacher, a sketchy school resource officer, an assistant principal who remains in the same position he was in at the time of Layla's disappearance and the sons of a powerful car dealership owner will keep readers second guessing the identity of the assailant until the very end.

A welcome addition to any middle or high school library.